Bernie Ecclestone terms Lewis Hamilton “a little bit political” in recent comments on the Ferrari star

Bernie Ecclestone questioned Ferrari's signing of Lewis Hamilton, claiming the team needs someone to take charge and command the work. He mentioned that Hamilton can be too "political" at times, which won't make any major difference in the team's work.

Hamilton's move to Ferrari has been under the critics' radar, considering the sub-par performance he has delivered in the season's first half. While there are multiple reasons surrounding this, including adaptability and an overall lack of pace in the car against its competitors, a clear contrast can be noticed between him and his teammate, Charles Leclerc's performance.

Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone commented on the Ferrari situation, stating that the team needs someone to command them and make changes. At the same time, he also claimed that Lewis Hamilton might not have been the best choice for them, considering how "political" he can sometimes be.

"At the moment, I cannot say anything negative about the Italian staff working for Ferrari. But I think the team needs someone to take charge, find the right direction and get the job done," he said.

"I am not sure that taking Lewis was the right decision. Lewis is obviously talented, but a little bit political, which is typical for Ferrari and typical for him. But he could come to life again which would be good for him and good for Ferrari."

As the season continues, there have only been minimal improvements in Lewis Hamilton's performance. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur recently commented that the team might have 'underestimated' the challenge he'd face after making the move.

---

Ferrari "underestimate[d]" Lewis Hamilton's challenge within the team

Hamilton has historically driven Mercedes-powered cars throughout his Formula 1 career. Moving to Ferrari in 2025 after spending well over a decade at Mercedes was set to be a major challenge in terms of adaptability. However, even after the first half of the season, Hamilton seemingly struggled with the car.

Team principal Fred Vasseur recently mentioned that the team underestimated the challenge that Lewis Hamilton was set to face moving to Ferrari.

"I think perhaps that we underestimate the challenge for Lewis at the beginning of the season," Vasseur said before the Hungarian GP. "He spent almost 10 years with McLaren and then 10 years with Mercedes, that’s almost 20 years with Mercedes in the same environment."

He explained that moving to the Italian outfit was set to introduce Lewis Hamilton to a new culture, and it was a major challenge for him. However, Vasseur was satisfied with the minor improvements he showcased in recent races.

"It was a huge change for Lewis in terms of culture, in terms of people around him, in terms of software, in terms of car, in terms of every single topic was a big change perhaps that we underestimate this, Lewis and myself," he added. "But I'm very, very pleased because the last four or five races he was back into the pace."

Ferrari stands in second place in the Constructors' Championship currently; however, they are under consistent threat from Mercedes. The latter have been performing inconsistently, but they did manage to score multiple podiums and a race win. Meanwhile, Ferrari has hung around on Charles Leclerc's consistent finishes with five podiums under his belt.